Latch



(No Model.)

T. C. MACE. LATCH.

No. 462,981. 4Patented Nov. 10,18191.

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W/ TNE SSE S A TroHA/EYS' l 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS c. MAOE, OE DE KALE COUNTY, MIssoURI.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,981, dated November10, 1891.

Application filed December 10, 1890. Serial No. 374,149. (No model.)

scription.

My invention relates to an improved lock, and has for its object toconstruct a durable and simple springless lock containing but few iparts and which will operate with a minimum of friction; and a furtherobject of the invention is to provide a gravity-bolt which, when thedoor is shut, will automatically shoot outward to lockthe door, andwherein when the bolt is drawn backward to open the door it will remainwithin the lock-casing until the door is again closed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lock in connection withwhich knobs or the usual form of bolt-operating mechanism may bedispensedv with.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a centralvertical section through a lock ofthe mortisepattern, the bolt being illustrated as thrown back in the casing, whichis its normal position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the lock attachedto a door. Fig.

3 is a central vertical section through the lock,

illustrating the boltthrown outward to the locked position. Fig. 4 is afront elevation of the striking-plate. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectiontaken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig.

l 6 is a similar section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is acentral vertical section through the lock-casing, the parts of the lockbeing removed therefrom; and Fig. 8 is a side elevation anda plan Viewof the locking trip lever adapted to act in conjunction with thestriking-plate.

The lock illustrated, as heretofore mentioned, is a reversiblemortise-lock; but it may be made in the rim-pattern, if so desired. Inthe mortise form of lock the casing consists of two side pieces 10,connected at top, bottom, and inner side, the back or inner side havingan opening 11 formed therein, for a purpose hereinafter set forth, andeach one of the plates at its lower forward end is provided with arecess 12. The casing has secured to its front edge a face-plate 13, inwhich plate an opening 14. is produced through which the bolt passes.The face-plate 13 eX- tends downward only to a point at or near therecessed lower end of the casing, as is best shown in Fig. 2. Afsuitableperpendicular opening is cut in the door 15 and a hori- /zontal opening16 is also produced in the door at a right angle to the front edge ofthe door, the said door-opening 16 being so ylocated that it will beimmediately at the rear of the opening 1l in the casing when said casingis secured in the door, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

At one side of the inserted casing, depending upon which way the door isto open, at the lower end of the casing, the side of the door is cutaway or recessed, as shown at a in Figs. 5 and G, to receive anangle-plate A,

the side member whereof is of greater thickness than the front member,and the front Inember of the angle-plate A constitutes the lower portionof the face-plate of the lock.

The angle-plate A has a vertical opening 17 produced at the junction ofits two members, extending nearly from top to bottom of the plate, andthe rear perpendicular wall of the opening 17 'is beveled, as shown inFigs. 5 and G, and is provided with a perpendicular groove or channel1S.

Within the angle-plateA of the lock a triplever B is pivoted, the saidlever being illustrated in side elevation and plan view in Fig. S. Thelever consists of a block having a concaved side 19 and a cylindricalfront 20, and a vertical recess 2l is formed in the side opposite theconcaved surface, the said recess being so shaped as to form upon thesaid side a conveXed shoulder 22. In the recessed side of the block, atits inner edge, a rectangular concavity 23 is produced, in which cavitythe inner wall of the an gle-plate groove 18 extends, and at the top andbottom of the block a lug 24 is formed, which lugs enter cavities ICO inthe angle-plate A. Thus by means of the lugs and the extension of theinner wall of the recess 18 of the angle-plate the trip-lever Bispivoted in the plate, and when so pivoted the cylindrical surface 20 ofIthe block normally closes the recess or opening 17 in the corner of theangle-plate, as shown in Fig. 2.

The bolt of the lock is provided with a shank 26, which shankv ispivoted within the casing by a pin 27 near its lower end, as shown inFigs. 1 and 3. The bolt proper 25 is some-` what segmental in shapeandis adapted to pass out and in through the opening 14 in theface-plate ofthe lock. 1

Just within the opening 11 in the back of the casingv the inner end of`a weight 28 is pivoted, which weight is provided with an arm 29,extending downwardly within the casing, the whole forming a weightedbell-crank lever. The arm 29 is bifurcated at its lower end and throughthe members of the arm a hook-extension 30 of a shifting lever 31passes, the two being connected by a pin 32, passed through thebifurcated end of the arm, and over which pin the said hook member 30passes. The shifting lever 31 at its upper end enters a recess 33,formed in the under face of the bolt 25, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Thelower end of the shifting lever is carried downward to a point near thebottom y of the casing, and at its lower end the front edge of theshifting lever has attached thereto or formed integraltherewith a plate34, whereby at this point the lever is somewhat T- shaped incross-section, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the plate 34 being adapted toengage with the shoulder 22 upon the trip-lever B. The shifting lever 3lis fulcrumed only upon the pin 32; but its rear end is limited in itsmovement by a stoppin 35, adapted to engage with its rear edge.

The striking-plate C, adapted to be fitted in the jamb of the door, isprovided with the usual opening 36 to receive the bolt, and at its lowerend upon its front face a lug 37 is produced. A spindle 38 is passedthrough the horizontal member of the weight 28, which member is locatedin the opening or mortise 16 of the door, and the outer ends of thespindle 38, which spindle is fast to the weight and extends beyond thesides of the door, have attached thereto buttons 39, the said buttonsbeing concealed by hoods 40, open at the under side and attached to thesides of the door,

. as best shown in Fig. 2. The weight 28 normally retains the bolt inthe lock-casing, as shown in Fig. 1, and when the bolt is in the casingthe lower end of the shifting lever, which bears against the shoulder 22of the trip-lever B, forces the lever to revolve sufticiently to exposeits cylindrical surface at the front edge of the door and the concavedsurface 19 at the side thereof. When the door is closed, the lug 37 ofthe striking-plate engages with the concaved surface of the -tripleverB, as shown in Fig. 5, and forces the cylindrical face thereof withinthe casing, which is completely accomplished when the door is fullyclosed, as shown in Fig. 6, and when the trip-lever is thus manipulatedthe shoulder 22 thereof forces the lower end of the shifting lever 31inward, which lever, acting upon the arm of the weight, brings theweight to almost a true horizontal position and at the same time forcesthe bolt 25 out.- ward through the lock-casing into the opening 36 ofthe striking-plate. It is apparent that the door will remain in thislocked position as long as it is closed.

YIn order to open the door, which may be accomplished from either side,the weight 28 is lifted by pressing upward either of the knobs orbuttons 39,whereupon the stop-pin 35 acts as a fulcrum for the shiftinglever 31, thus forcing the upper end of the shifting lever to move asufficient distance to draw the boltinto the casing, whereupon the doormay be opened. The moment the door is opened and the lock released fromthe striking-plate the weight 28 assumes its normal position, and theshifting lever forces the trip-lever B to present its cylindricalsurface at the opening 17 of the angle face-plate and at the same timeforces the lower end of the shank 26 outward and consequently the bolt25 inward.

It will be observed that the lock is entirely without springs and thatit is exceedingly simple, but few parts being employed; also, that theparts move with a minimum of friction and that their movements arepositive.

I-Iavin g thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Pateilt',-

1. In a lock, the combination, with a pivoted bolt, of a pivoted Weight,a shifting lever engaging the bolt and weight, and a trip-lever adaptedto engage the shifting lever, substantially as described.

2. In a lock, the combination, with a pivoted bolt, of a pivoted andweighted bellcrank lever, a shifting lever connected with one member ofthe bell-crank lever and engaging the bolt, and a pivoted trip-leverengaging the lower end of the shifting lever, substantially as hereinshown and described.

3. In a lock, the combination, with a pivoted bolt, a shifting leverconnected with the bolt and a gravity device attached to the shiftinglever, of a rocking trip-lever engaging the shifting lever, and astriking-plate provided with a lug adapted for engagement with thetrip-lever, as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a lock, the combination, with a gravity-bolt and a shifting leverconnected with said bolt, of a rocking trip-lever provided IOO lIO

with a convexed shoulder engaging the shifti 4 A t f' d l member of thebell-crank lever and engaging the bolt, and a pivoted trip-lever havinga cylindrical face and normally projecting from the lock-casing,substantiallyas herein shown 5 and described.

6. In a lock, the combination, With a pivoted bolt, of a weightedbell-crank lever vhaving one of its members forked, a shifting leverengaging the bolt and provided With a 1o hook projection extendingbetween the forks of the members of the bell-crank lever and engaging apin connecting the members of the fork, and a pivoted trip-lever havinga cylindrical face and normally projecting from the lock-case,substantially as herein shown 15 and described THOMAS C. MACE.

Witnesses:

E. D. CORNISH, W. W. BOWEN.

